Doggone

After a blissful stay with us of two weeks or so, Uyu the border collie is gone, having returned home to her mum and dad.

It was sad to see her go as she had been our little angel and being with her was blissful.

She brought enormous joy and we had great fun.

But, as I had noted the last time she stayed her, the biggest lesson Uyu provided was to convey how clearly impossible it would be for us to own a dog, much as I would love to have one.

I simply can’t care well enough for a dog.

A pooch needs daily walks, feeds, care of their physical well-being and attention.

I can’t guarantee the ability to do that day-in, day-out for the life of the animal. It would be cruel of me to try.

Fortunately, I didn’t have to work for more than a couple of days during Uyu’s stay.

That allowed me to devote my life to looking after her.

We would wake around 4 in the morning and head off on a long walk before the heat set in.

This also provided greater insight into the neighborhood, and to see what a delightful area we live in, which is something that I hadn’t properly appreciated before that.

Daytimes were spent taking it easy, or trying in vain to look after the garden, which has been ravaged by the relentless heat of the summer.

My new employer has been silent for a couple of weeks now and I am utterly terrified. My first reaction to anything tends to be triggered by fear and negativity, so I am thinking the worse. Fortunately, turning my attention to Uyu and juggling her care with that of Dino, our rosy faced lovebird, helped to distract my attention.

Now my mind is back to “normal” and I’m worrying. It’s not a good sign that one of the first things newly liberated Dino did after realizing her tormentor (Uyu) was gone was to eat my textbook to study for the new job. At least her nest looks cosy.

Another of Uyu’s great delights was her ability to help blend into the community. Even though she has gone, I was delighted to go to the supermarket this morning and be served by a lady we met while we were each walking our dogs. I admire dog owners so enormously.

It’s sad and lonely without Uyu, who brought back so many wonderful memories of a childhood I shared with a border collie. It’s weird not having an extra shadow, which proved to me how adaptable I am to have missed that presence following such a short acquaintance. We were all exhausted in the end, though, and Uyu, having hurt her paw earlier in the day and needing a shot of cortosteriods to recover, was delighted when her mum and dad finally arrived to pick her up. We love her dearly (even Dino!) and will miss her like crazy.